the 8800 series is still > 9600. the 9600 is barely a real 9-series card, aside from having a G9X series-GPU.
you'll be looking for the 9800 series to come out next month for a decent upgrade from the 8800GT

everyone seems to be comparing the 9600GT to the 8800GT when theyre not even close. the 9600GT is in the sub $200 range and is just an average card.

NVIDIA's new GeForce 9-series has a top-end 9800 GX2 card slated for March 11th -- if these rumors are to be believed -- that is supposed to best the 8800 Ultra's performance by a solid 30 percent. The card is supposed to land for less than $599, but if that's a bit much for you, the 9800 GTX should hit for under $399 in "late March," with the 9800 GT following on April 3rd for under $299. If all of this is too much horsepower for you, the 9600 GS, 9500 GT and 9500 GS are slated to arrive in May, June and July, respectively, and all should hit at under the 9600 GT's already friendly sub-$200 pricepoint.